Pellentesque Mother Nature has been rather generous in the distribution of a very rich hydrographic features of irresistible beauty to district Pithoragarh traditionally held to be the chosen abode of the divine deities, cascading waterfalls, the splendid glaciers, natural reservoirs enclosed by fantastic variety of vegetation, serene lakes and noisy flamboyant rivers are all a part of the rugged charm that the district possesses to such a stupendous degree.

Once the bastion of the Chand rulers, Pithoragarh town is littered with temples and forts belonging to that era. The town is set in a valley popularly known as and lies in the centre of four hills Chandak, Dhwaj, Kumdar and Thal Kedar, and stretches in the southern flank to Jhulaghat demarcated by the Kali river adjoining the barren peaks of Nepal Hills. It is snuggled in the folds of four kots Bhatkot, Dungerkot, Udaikot and Unchakot.

By road: Well connected by all weather road. It is 457 kms from Delhi, 218 kms from Nainital and 415 kms from Haridwar

Gwaldam:

In the garden of the attractive little tourist bungalow is a display which indicates the directions of the peaks which stretch across the horizon for west, through north, to the east. These snow covered giants are Nanda Gunti, Trishul, Mactoli, Mrigthuni, Nandakot, tent Peak, Chowkhamba and Kedar Peak.

Gwaldam is a hill station perched at an altitude of 1700 mts above sea level in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state. It lies on the route which connects Garhwal region with Kumaon.

Gwaldam is a sleepy little town, on the border of Garhwal & Kumaon hills located amidst green jungles and apple orchards. Gwaldam with its salubrious weather and unspoilt serenity is a little heaven, nestling in the woods. The entire area up to Talwari is full of orchids. A 3 km trek amidst bewitchingly beautiful nature in the company of nameless flowers, endless springs and countless birds will take you to Badhangarh temple, perched on a narrow ridge. From here you can have a glimpse of the never seen marvels of the Himalayas.

The famous Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra goes through Gwaldam. Trek to the mysterious Roopkund Lake is the most renowned trekking excursion of Gwaldam. It is situated just 38kms away from the famous hill station, Kausani. The beauty of Gwaldam is still quite untouched and less known travel destination.

From Gwaldam, the road winds its way through dense forests and terraced fields dotted with cottages of Tharali and Narain Bagar upto the Ranikhet-Pandukholi road.

People of Gwaldam

The people and culture of Gwaldam is an amalgamation of Kumaon and Garhwal region. The quaint hamlet of Gwaldam is surrounded by pine forests and looks down upon the valley which stretches for miles and the Pindar River flowing through it.

Accessibility:

By Air: Pant Nagar is the nearest airport to Gwaldam situated at 250 kms. It’s an domestic airport connected by Delhi regular flights.

By Rail: Kathgodam is the nearest railhead located at 169 kms.

By road: Well connected by all weather road. It is 36 kms from Kausani, 22 kms from Baijnath and 45 kms from Bageshwar.

Lansdowne:

On the way up to the kotdwar to Lansdowne, the mountains look rounded, terraced fields extend high up the slopes and the valleys of the streams are broad.

It’s a beautiful, wooded, old hill station with Himalayan oak trees of girth which can seldom be seen in any other town. These are interspersed with tall, feathery, conifers called chir. There is a disciplined, traditional, feel about this town. Lansdowne is a walking, ambling town. With its woods and little cottages it retains the character of many of the hill-stations of India. Situated at an altitude of 1700 mts Lansdowne got its name from Lord Lansdowne who was the then viceroy of India during 1888-1894. Presently it has the command office of the Garhwal Rifles division of the Indian army.

One of the most sought weekend destination for a lazy, relaxing holiday.

Attractions around Lansdowne:

Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple:

The famous temple of Lord Shiva – Tarkeshwar Mahadev – is located at an altitude of 1800 meters above the sea level and is about 36 km from Lansdowne. The temple which is surrounded by thick forests of deodar and pine is an ideal place for those who seek beauty in nature. A special worship is held here during the festival of Shivratri which is attended by huge number of devotees. Comfortable accommodation in dharamshala is also provided by the temple committee.

Kanvashram, a sacred ashram located near Lansdowne hill station, is a gateway to Puri, the most sought temple town in India. This ashram is bordered by thick forests and hillocks, making it a beautiful place for feasting the eyes of tourists. A spectacular attraction nearby is the famous Malini River flowing near to this Ashram. Accommodation is available for those who want to spend holidays here. This is a right place to take meditation and mix up with the natural blessings of Earth.

Accessibility:

By Air: Jolly grant in Dehradun is the nearest airport it is located at a distance of 148 kms.

By Rail: Kotdwar is the nearest railhead located at 40 kms.

By road: Well connected by all weather roads. It is connected by NH119

Choukori:

Choukori is a small hamlet situated in Pithogarh district of Uttarakhand District. Situated at an altitude of 2010 mts above MSL affording splendid and invigorating views of natures beauteousness.

Choukori is famous for its tea gardens established by the Britishers. The Virgin beauty of Choukori is unaffected by pollution and crowd. It has enchanting views of the heavenly Himalayan peaks like Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, Trishul, Nanda Kot, and the Panchachuli are the distinctly visible from Choukori.

Accessibility:

By Air: Pant Nagar is the nearest airport to Chaukori at a distance of 205 kms. It’s an domestic airport connected by Delhi regular flights.

By Rail: Kathgodam is the nearest railhead located at 180 kms. The station is well connected by lucknow, New Delhi and Kolkata.

By Road: Well connected by all weather roads

Pangot:

Pangot is a small picturesque hamlet located just at a distance of 15 kms from Nainital City. The road go through the forested area of Cheena Peak, snow view point and Kilbury. Pangot is famous for birdwatching & is known as birders paradise.

One can spot many kinds of birds here which migrated from Upper Himalayas to escape from the extreme winter climate. One can spot the varieties of Himalayan species here such as lammergayer, Himalayan Griffon, Blue Winged Minla, Spotted and Slaty-backed forktail, rufus-bellied woodpecker, rufus-belied niltava, Khalij Pheasant, varieties of thrushes etc. Almost 150 bird species have been detected in these regions. The Numerous perrenial and seasonal creeks are home to an amazing variety of flora and fauna including the leopard, yellow throated Himalaya Martins, Himalayan Palm Civet, Ghoral, Barking deer, Sambhar etc.

Accessibility:

By Air: Pant Nagar is the nearest airport to Pangot situated at a distance of 70 kms. It’s an domestic airport connected by Delhi regular flights.

By Rail: Kathgodam is the nearest railhead located at 37 kms. The station is well connected by lucknow, New Delhi and Kolkata.

By road: Well connected by all weather roads. Its 14 kms from Nainital and 289 kms from New Delhi.

Patal Bhubaneshwar:

Patal Bhubaneshwar is one of the most mysterious and spiritual place of Uttarakhand. Situated at a height of 1350 mts is mainly dedicated to Lord Shiva. Patal Bhubaneshwari has a cave located 13 kms from Gangolighat of Pithoragarh District in Uttarakhand state. The way to the cave goes through a long narrow tunnel. Other than Lord Shiva the forms of Sheshnag, Kal Bhairav, Ganesha and Several other gods can be seen in Patal Bhubaneshwar. It is believed that the cave is the abode of 33 crore Gods and Godesses.

It was discovered by the king Rituparna of Sun Dynasty in Tretya Yug as mentioned in Skanda Purana. The mystical cave is 163 m long and 90 feet deep where limestone formations have created various impressive staglagmite figures. Almost everygod that you have heard of resides in this mystifying cave. It is believed that you can worship at patal Bhubaneshwar is equavalent to worshipping at Char Dham of Uttarakhand. One can see the stages of our existence. There are four entrances inside the cave named “Randwar”, “Paapdwar”, ‘Dhramdwar’ and ‘Mokshdwar’. The ‘Paapdwar’ was closed soon after the death of Ravana and the ‘Randwar’ literally means road to war, was closed down after the great Mahabharata war. At present only 2 gates are opened you can see the tongue of Kali Bhairav, Aravati of Indra, Hairs of Lord Shiva and several other wonders inside the Patal Bhubaneshwar.

Accessibility:

By Air: Pant Nagar is the nearest airport to Patal Bhubaneswar situated at a distance of 244 kms. It’s an domestic airport connected by Delhi regular flights.

By Rail: Tanakpur is the nearest railhead located at 154 kms. The station is well connected by lucknow, New Delhi and Kolkata.

By road: Well connected by all weather road from Tanakpur, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Lohaghat etc

Munsiyari:

Perched at the top of 2298 mts amsl is famous for its picturesque beauty and trekking excursions. Munsiyari is famous for its beauty and trekking excursions. It is popular among high altitude trekkers and adventure enthusiasts as this place is the base of Milam, Ralam and Namik Glaciers.

Munsiyari is inhabited by Bhutias or Shaukhas. Munsiyari was a previously a restircted area due to its proximity to Nepal and Tibet. It has a distinctive Himalyan flora and fauna.

Places to see:

Majestic Peak of Panchchuli:

It has most besutiful view of all the 5 most prominent peaks.

Birthi Falls:

It is picturesque cascading waterfall surrounded with verdant colors. The fall is falling down from a height of 126 mtrs of height ideal spot for picnic /tea/cofee break. Located at 45 kms distance from Munsiyari.

Maheshwari or Mehsar Kund according to legend Yaksha use to live here. The kund or pond is just a few kms walk from Munsiyari the spot offers panaramic vistas of nature.

Betulidhar:

Is a large garden full of Rhododendrons and has ideal skiing slopes. This is also the most prominent place for sunrise and sunset view.

Accessibility:

By Air: Pant Nagar is the nearest airport to Munsiyari situated at a distance of 249 kms. It’s an domestic airport connected by Delhi regular flights.

By Rail: Tanakpur and Kathgodam is the nearest railhead . The distance from Munsiyari to Tanakpur is 218 kms and Kathgodam is 217 kms almost equal distance. The station is well connected by lucknow, New Delhi and Kolkata.

By road: Well connected by all weather roads from Tanakpur, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Lohaghat etc